Intricate
by ASongInMyHead
Summary: Everyone knows someone who changed their lives, for better or for worse. Families fall apart, friends fall in love and everything falls in place. Multi-pairing drabbles and oneshots. Mostly EdWin, Royai and Sigzumi.
1. Reunion

**Reunion**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer: As always, nothing belongs to me.<em>

* * *

><p>It was hot in Rush Valley at the best of times, but that day the sun seemed to shine as if it had something to prove. Winry was working at Atelier Garfiel by herself for the weekend, as the titular owner was in Dublith on a rare house call to a customer that had recently moved. Whatever. Business wasn't exactly booming that day, so she spent her time tinkering away at an automail kneecap.<p>

Winry always got lost in her work. It was almost like falling asleep, drifting away from the world; she could block out absolutely everything that was unrelated to her automail. Which, of course, was why the bell at the front of the shop had probably been rung many times before she took note of it.

She couldn't see the storefront from the back workshop, so she set the kneecap and her tools down on the table, and scooted out of her chair.

"Just a second," she called, wiping her grimy hands on her pants. The bell kept ringing obnoxiously, as if the costumer had somehow not heard her blatant call.

"Asshole," Winry hissed through gritted teeth. She pocketed her wrench, just in case. The jerk at the front was still ringing the bell over and over again as she rounded the corner.

"Didn't you hear me?" She snapped. "I said—"

Edward was leaning against the counter, a lazy grin on his face. He hovered his hand over the bell and let it drop, ringing it once more, just to piss her off.

Winry took in a quick breath. The last time she had seen him was six months prior, when he had boarded his train after their little awkward love confessions. Everyday since then she had jumped whenever the phone rang and ran when there was a knock at the door, just in case it was Ed. Very slowly, her lips parted from a grimace into a smile.

"Hey, alchemy freak," she said, walking towards him. "I missed you."

"Hey, automail geek," he let himself in met her in the middle. "I missed you, too."

They were so close that their arms brushed, and Winry curled her hands into his. She was still amazed that _she _was the one who had to tilt her head to see_ his _face, but she didn't mind too much. She stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed his soft lips. The noise of the city was blocked out as much as it would have been had she been working.

When their lips parted, Edward blushed. "What was that for, Win?"

Winry smiled tenderly. "For coming back." She removed his hands from him and reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out her wrench. Edward knew what was coming before she had even raised it above her head. "But this is for not calling first!"

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note- This is going to be a collection of ficlets and drabbles focusing on multiple pairings of friendship, romance and even hate from the point of view of many different characters. I'm using the mangaBrotherhood 'verse, so spoilers abound! Enjoy._


	2. A War Crime

**A War Crime**

_Disclaimer- Of course, I own nothing.  
><em>

* * *

><p>The skin on her back and shoulders was not soft like the rest of her body. As lined with battle scars as she was, her skin was still smooth under Roy's fingers. But her back… the skin there was hard and crusty, and sometimes she would absently recoil from his touch if his fingers were to accidentally graze it. He tried his absolute best not to touch the burn scar or even the remnants of that forsaken tattoo. Riza was not aware of that deal he had made with himself the day she asked him to inflict that wound, and he'd never dreamed of confessing that to her.<p>

But every time he saw the scar, he'd hear her voice telling him to get it over with, the snap of his fingers and her god-awful endless screaming. When it was over she had curled up and sobbed, her skin charred black and bleeding. She had emitted the same charcoal stink as every Ishvalan Roy had ever killed.

As much as he loved her, he would never be able to get over what he had done that day. No amount of love could paint over the guilt that weighed so heavily on his heart for the pain he had caused her. Riza thought that the burn was a relief, a way to free herself from being a walking carrier of violence, but Roy thought that what he had agreed to do every bit as much of a war crime as all they had done in Ishval.


	3. Broken Down

**Broken Down**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ FMA is definitely not mine.<em>

* * *

><p>Winry raced to the door as soon as she heard the sharp knock. Maybe Ed and Al had stopped spending all their time reading boring books and journals decorated with symbols she couldn't understand, and finally just wanted to play again. Or, better yet, maybe her parents had come home and didn't tell her so that she'd be surprised. She swung open the door, letting the midday sun flood the hallway, just as her Granny came down the stairs. Winry's excited grin faded as soon as she saw the visitors.<p>

Two soldiers stood at her doorstop, both wearing identical uniforms and solemn facial expressions. Winry looked at Granny, who's face had turned as white as her apron.

"Mrs. Rockbell?" One of the soldiers stared grimly at the old woman. Granny reached forward and pulled Winry into her arms in a rare display of outright affection.

"That's me," Granny said. If Winry didn't know her better, she would have sworn tears threatened to spill from her grandmother's eyes. Granny seemed to know why the soldiers were there, but all Winry knew was that something really bad had happened. Could… could her parents be injured?

"Are they dead?" Pinako Rockbell bluntly asked the soldiers in an icy voice that she usually reserved for when she was horribly angry. Winry heard the words leave Granny's lips, but she couldn't fit them together. Dead? No. Not her Mommy and Daddy. She clung to Granny's legs as bits of the conversation drifted through her mind. "Yes", "so sorry" "bodies will be transported to the town," "unknown at this point", "I would advice not opening the caskets when they arrive", "not a pleasant sight".

When Winry could process her thoughts again, the soldiers were long gone and she had been placed on the couch with a wool blanket wrapped around her gangly limbs. Granny was staring right at her with red-rimmed eyes. Her own face, however, felt raw and wet.

"You're in shock, my dear," Granny said in a hoarse voice. She handed Winry a steaming mug in a chipped blue glass. The broken little girl took a sip of the too-hot tea, letting the peppermint scorch its way down her throat.

"G-Granny?" Winry whimpered. "Are they really… d-dead?"

Pinako stroked her granddaughter's hair. "Yes, Winry, they are. I'm so sorry."

Winry nodded and began to scream; a terrible sound that was probably heard around town. She proceeded to cry in her grandmother's arm for hours until she fell unconscious with grief. It was not until Winry's breathing had evened with sleep that Pinako allowed the tears to stream from her eyes, wracking her body with silent sobs.


	4. Don't Spill Your Drink

**Don't Spill Your Drink**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ Not mine.<em>

_A/N~ We all know Denny can be a bit… emotional._

* * *

><p>In the end, Denny was still pretty pissed off.<p>

"Why was I lied to?" He asked Maria for the umpteenth time.

"I told you," she reminded him with a roll of her dark eyes. "You shouldn't feel so bad, I made them promise not to tell my parents, either. Careful, you're about to slosh your drink all over my new carpet!"

Denny paced around the living room of Maria's cramped new apartment in Central. He'd come by with a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift, but had ended up being too twitchy to sit down.

"I thought you died a shame-filled, _horrible _death at the hands of the Colonel, only to find—" He paused. "Did you say 'either'?"

Maria blushed and smiled into her wine glass. "I told Colonel Mustang and his subordinates… not to tell my parents. And then I wrote to Lieutenant Hawkeye in code, asking her to include you on that list."

"Why?"

"I needed to protect the people I love," she set her glass on the cheap wooden table. "That includes you, Denny."

Second Lieutenant Maria Ross's fear of getting her carpet stained came to pass when Sergeant Denny Brosh dropped his wine glass in his shock and happiness.


	5. Studying

**Studying**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer- Not mine!<em>

* * *

><p>"So, um, how do you want to do this?"<p>

Roy frowned at Riza's expectant face. "Well, uh, I could copy it off… and yeah..."

He had suggested they do it in her bedroom to provide her with the most comfort, but he was starting to think that it just made things even more awkward.

She sat on her bed, not meeting his eyes. "Is that going to be accurate enough? There are lots of symbols and codes, I think."

"You think?"

Riza looked up at him for the first time since he had entered her little room. "I don't really like to look at it."

He shot her an awkward, understanding smile. "It's fine, I can always go back to you, if the need arises."

She almost smiled at that. "You make it sound as if it's easy to get me out of my clothes."

Roy chuckled, surprised by her boldness, and regarded her curiously. Was that how she usually acted? He had thought she would have been shyer, but he wouldn't know. They had lived under the same roof for several years, they had buried her father together, and although they were both in their late teens, he felt like he hardly knew her. A smile tugged at his lips, for he was beginning to hope that it would change.

"Ready?" He asked, picking up his sketchpad and pen from her bedside table.

Riza began to remove her shirt, but hesitated. "I want you to destroy the paper as soon as possible. I won't show you a single bit of my father's research until you promise me this."

Roy met her steely gaze. "I promise, Riza. I do."

She slowly closed her eyes and pulled her shirt over her head, holding the fabric protectively over her chest. Roy studied the tattoo in a mixture of appreciation and disgust. The notes were incredible and finely detailed, but it meant that Master Hawkeye had carved them into his only child's flesh. He had no idea whether or not Riza had held consent in the process, and felt too afraid to learn the answer.

For the next three hours Riza stayed absolutely still as Roy spent his time sketching the notes and wondering what it would be like to touch Riza's shiny, cropped blonde hair.

* * *

><p><em>AN~ Royai is probably my favourite FMA ship, so expect to see lots of them in this drabble collection, (EdWin, too). Just a side note, and a time for me to brag, but today I was accepted into university to major in English. Success! _


	6. Don't Leave Me

**Don't Leave Me**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ It will never be mine.<em>

* * *

><p>Winry could hardly comprehend what her parents were trying to say.<p>

"Can't I go with you?" She begged, tears welling up in her bright blue eyes.

Urey tightened his grip on Sara's hand. He leaned forward on the couch and placed his free hand on his daughter's bony knee. "Sweetheart, you really are not allowed to come."

"It wouldn't be safe for you," Sara said, returning the comforting pressure on her husband's hand.

"But if it's not safe… for me, then… it's not safe… for you," Winry cried, interrupting herself with sobs.

Sara felt her heart shatter. They had conversed with Pinako and gotten Winry a puppy from a local farmer, in hopes that it would settle her before they told her their plans. Apparently it hadn't worked. The last thing either of them wanted to do was leave their only child behind, but so many soldiers had done the same to their own families, it was only fair that they got help from as many doctors that Amestris could spare.

"Win," Sara tried again. "There are people in Ishval who really need help from Daddy and I; people who are hurt and scared."

"But _I _need you!" Winry yelled with a sudden ferocity, and tore up the stairs, the still unnamed puppy bounding loyally after her mistress.

After waiting ten minutes for her to calm down, Sara and Urey crept to Winry's bedroom. She and the puppy were fast asleep and curled up on the bed, her face streaked with tears and snot.

Sara put an arm around Urey and he kissed her hair.

"She'll be alright," Urey said softly.

Over the next two weeks Winry did seem to come around. The Elric brothers even managed to get her to play with them and the puppy, which she chosen to name Den. But when the day came for Sara and Urey to ship out, Winry pretended to be asleep, refusing to see her parents off, unaware that she was missing her only possible chance to ever say goodbye to her mother and father.

* * *

><p><em>AN~ I do hope this was enjoyable. Winry's past really is heartbreaking. Now, I'm off to get ready for the midnight showing of the Hunger Games movie! Very exciting._


	7. Morning After

**Morning After**

_Disclaimer~ I do not own FMA._

Winry awoke with the sun's heat on her face. She squinted in the light, wishing she had thought of closing the curtains before going to bed. With a sigh she stretched her arms and rolled over, only to be greeted to the sight of the man who had been her husband only since the day before.

Edward grinned and threw his arm around her, pulling her warm body close. They were still naked from the last night's carnal encounter. The first time had been very loving, but terribly awkward, although their bodies eventually learned to work in tandem through the course of the night.

"Hi," Winry said softly to her new husband. "Good morning."

"Hey," was all Edward was able to say before she kissed him hard on the lips.


	8. The Promise

**The Promise**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ As much as I love these two, they definitely do not belong to me.<em>

* * *

><p>Roy looked over at the hospital bed beside his own. Riza was sitting straight up in her bed, a stack of papers in her lap as she diligently made some sort of notes. Her head was tilted back slightly, as it still caused her pain to put too much pressure on the deep wound that had been carved into her throat. He didn't know what the paperwork contained, but he had a vague idea that it was probably something he was supposed to have done himself a long time ago.<p>

Everything was still cloudy in the Flame Alchemist's eyes; but the Philosopher's Stone had done its work, his vision got clearer with every passing day. Doctor Marcoh estimated that his sight would be back to normal within another two weeks. Roy shook his head as Riza continued to shuffle through her papers, making notes on the margins every so often. Of course _she'd _be working just days after receiving a nearly lethal wound.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Roy said abruptly.

"For what, sir?" Riza replied without looking up from her paperwork.

Roy squinted, trying to make out the details of her face in the blur of his own eyes and the ugly florescent lights. "For being my eyes when I was blind."

Riza set down the work in her lap, and turned her neck as far as she could manage in her thick bandages. "Do you remember what I promised you, Colonel? You know the one I mean."

He smiled faintly. "You promised to follow me into hell."

"And did I do that on the Promised Day?"

_Yes,_ Roy thought. _Not to mention every other day._

"Yes," was all he said out loud. "You did."

Riza retrieved her work and began scribbling her notes again. "Then I really don't see any need to thank me, sir. I was just doing my job and keeping my promise."

Roy chuckled, and although he still had trouble properly seeing his most valued lieutenant's face, he knew that she was smiling.


	9. Peacemaking

**Peacemaking**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ As always, it's not mine.<em>

* * *

><p>"My lord?"<p>

Ling laughed and turned to Lan Fan. "We're alone and we're friends, you can call me by my name."

Lan Fan frowned as they trudged through the sunbaked sand; she would do no such thing. Sweat prickled between her skin and her ceremonial mask, but she refused to remove it. She was not at all pleased with the journey. Her stump ached from stressing the automail before she should have, her grandfather's body had been shipped to Xing without them and the Chang girl was accompanying them home. Despite the strange peace she had made with the girl, she couldn't really feel comfortable around her.

"We are not alone," she reminded her prince, shooting a glare at the girl who kept her distance behind them. "The Chang girl cannot be trusted, my lord."

"She's my half-sister, and her name is May, besides you asked me to protect her clan."

"Only because I knew it would destroy you if you didn't. But I did not expect her to travel all the way with us."

A moment later the Chang girl's footsteps stopped. Ling sighed and turned in tandem with his bodyguard. Lan Fan rolled her eyes as the tiny creature perched on the Chang girl's shoulder let out an annoying squeak.

"I _can_ hear you," the Chang girl called out, narrowing her eyes at Lan Fan. She could practically feel her master's eyes burning holes in the side of her skull, so all she did was scratch at her aching automail port and sigh again.

"I am sorry, Princess," Lan Fan said with a slight bow. "I do apologize for disrespecting you."

May's face broke out in a sudden grin. "Ling is right, you are much too formal! You _do _need to loosen up a little."

Before Lan Fan could so much as scowl at her master from behind her mask, Ling had taken off in the sand, cackling like the mad man he was.


	10. Simple Smiles

**Simple Smiles**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ It is certainly not mine.<em>

* * *

><p>The picnic had been Al's idea, and in the three days since the Elric brothers had returned to their hometown, neither Ed nor Winry could deny him a single request. Seeing his smile and his gold eyes light up was the best thing either of them could imagine.<p>

"This will be nice," Winry told Ed. Shouldering the picnic basket, she pulled her pale hair into a high ponytail. Ed couldn't help but notice as it brushed her strong shoulders. "The three of us together again, it seems like it's exactly how it was before… everything that happened."

Ed nodded in agreement, although they all knew that memories could not be erased. They were trailing behind Al, taking pleasure in his excitement. He was struggling to move fast on his crutches and every so often he would stop and look up at the sky. Edward couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of freedom and joy that Al was experiencing, but watching his brother lie in the sunlight or streak his face with water just to feel the wind on the cheeks was incredible.

Winry chuckled as she watched Ed space out again. He had been like that since they had surprised her in Risembool soon after Al was finally released from the hospital. He always looked at Al strangely, as if he was half ecstatic, and half fearful that he was only dreaming.

"You're right," Ed finally said. "But I don't like the look of that hill."

Winry put a hand to her eyes, shielding them from the high noon sun. Indeed, Al's chosen location was at the top of a tree-studded hill that sloped steeply.

"He's going to hate it if we help him," Winry replied, watching as her friend managed to hobble his way to the bottom of the hill.

"Yeah, but what's he going to do otherwise?"

Al twisted around, causing Ed and Winry to attempt to make themselves look as casual as possible. Al grinned and leaned forward on his crutches.

"I know you're talking about me," he called out, not unkindly.

Winry laughed. "Yep. Ed's jealous because you're still taller than him, even out of the armour."

Ed was too distracted by happiness and concern to notice the jibe that would usually send him into a rage.

Al smiled as the other two caught up with him, an expression that was quickly matched by his brother and their best friend. Just like when they were children, Al's cheerfulness was extraordinarily infectious.

"I know what you're really discussing," he replied. "And you're right. I don't have all of Brother's pride, so I'll just say it: I need help up that hill."

Winry and Edward breathed a sigh of relief and set down the food and drinks they had been carrying without a word. They made their way up the hill with Ed supporting his right side and Winry supporting his left. When they reached the top, Al set down his crutches and sat against a tree as the other two ran back down to get the picnic supplies. He removed his shoes letting his toes rub against the cool grass. Al grinned as a breeze ruffled his hair. He watched his brother and Winry walk up, talking and laughing about something or other. He breathed in deeply, smelling the country air, the apple pie Winry had made, and even his own sweat. It was all so wonderful. He had never been happier to be Alphonse Elric.


	11. Beautiful Like You

**Beautiful Like You**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ Once again, it is not mine.<em>

* * *

><p>May frowned at Al's poor stance.<p>

"Keep your feet wider apart," she snapped. "You have to connect with the ground."

Al quickly complied, shifting his feet in the hard dirt, but continued to stare off, wide-eyed, around the field where May taught him alkahestry.

"Alphonse," May tried again. "You aren't focusing."

Al shook his head and smiled at her. "Sorry. Xing is just so beautiful."

"It's true," she willingly agreed, happy that he was complimenting her country. "But you need to pay attention if you truly wish to learn alkahestry."

Al stood firmly in his directed stance. "Sorry," he repeated.

May looked at her friend-turned-pupil, tilting her head with confusion when a blush began to creep up his face. "What?"

"Well, it's just…" Al grinned and began to speak in hesitant Xingese. "The countryside isn't the only thing that is distracting me with its beauty. You are too."


	12. Bullies

**Bullies**

* * *

><p>Ed recognized the cries from all the way across the schoolyard. Al had his eyes and heart set on the swing set, but Ed grabbed his little brother by the sleeve of his woolen sweater, pulling him towards the sounds.<p>

"Hey, what are you doing?" Al wriggled his arm, trying to free it from his brother's strong grip.

"Just come on, Al," Ed said impatiently as he marched towards the slide.

"Stop crying," they overheard a girl bark harshly from just behind the slide. "Who's gonna dry your face? Your dead mom and dad?"

Ed gritted his teeth in anger, he could hear other girls laughing. A group of them against one person, how very fair. Before Al could react, Ed had removed a piece of chalk from his pocket, scribbling a transmutation circle onto the concrete. When he finished, he slammed his hands on the ground, ignoring the stinging feeling as it scraped his hands.

In a flash of blue, the cement under his feet seemed to ripple like water. Serpentine shapes began to writhe under his hands and slithered behind the slide. Ed nodded in satisfaction as screams rose up from behind the structure, and five girls came running past him and Al, crying about monsters.

The Elric brothers ducked behind the slide; Ed went in first, with Al following dutifully. Sure enough, Winry was crouched under the structure, hugging her knees to her chest and rubbing at her tear-stained face. Any other time, Ed would have playfully mocked his best friend for being such a crybaby, but since the blue-uniformed soldiers had carried two coffins to the Rockbell's home the month before, he would do no such thing.

"I could've handled them myself," Winry told them, angry and embarrassed, as they crouched by her side. Despite her words, her glare was half-hearted. "Besides, Granny said I could leave school soon to work on automail full time."

Ed nodded. "I know. But I just wanted to see the looks on their faces for saying those things to you."

"You should come home with us after school," Al told her anxiously, wanting to make his friend happy again. "You know our mom makes the best hot chocolate you've ever had, we can ask her to make some for us!"

"Thanks, you two," Winry smiled through her tears, and the Elric brothers stayed by her side until she stopped crying, even after the schoolteacher had called everyone back inside.


	13. Time

**Time**

* * *

><p>Trisha rocked back and forth on the wooden swing that Van had worked so hard to make for their boys. The moon was half full and the crickets chirped their merry little song in the cool night air. She turned a little as the backdoor creaked open, and Van joined her under the starry sky.<p>

"Couldn't sleep?" Van's deep voice cut through the night.

"I've been thinking about what you told me today," Trisha let her bare feet drag against the damp grass. She looked up at him. "I think you should know that I understand you need to leave next week, _I do. _But I don't want you to; I'll miss you so much. I hope that makes sense."

She meant every word, but there was one thing she'd never say: she was scared. With Van by her side, the cutting words of so many in Risembool dug less deep.

"_They're not even married!"_

"_Did they even think of those poor, bastard children?"_

"_The Rockbells seem to like them… but they're an odd family, too."_

But to voice the fear of simple gossip felt like a cowardly thing to do, so she held her tongue.

Van leaned against the tree that held up the swing, and Trisha looked up at his golden eyes. He linked his fingers with hers, and they gazed at the stars that sprinkled the black sky liked spilt grains of salt.

"I'm not leaving you," Van said after a while. "I love you, Edward and Alphonse so very much. I'll be back in no time, I promise. I'm going to find a way for us to grow old together."

Trisha's lips quirked up in a smile. She got off the swing and joined him against the tree. "But time is meaningless to you."

Van kissed her dark hair. "It means everything when you are with me."

Trisha relaxed into her beloved's arms. Everything would be all right. Van would be back before she knew it. She would be all right.

Everything would be fine.


	14. Pointless Revenge

**Pointless Revenge**

* * *

><p>"He's waking up!"<p>

"What?" Urey Rockbell turned to see his wife hurry over to him, her doctor's coat fluttering as she weaved her way around patient's beds. She'd never be so loud around sleeping patients if it weren't something important.

"The man with the gash on his face," Sara motioned to a bed at the end of the hospital, her blue eyes shining with excitement. "He's awake!"

"Finally," Urey sighed in relief. They had been so worried that the poor Ishvalan man would never again open his eyes. "We need to check for brain damage first, we—"

Urey choked on his words, and Sara watched as her husband's face hardened.

"What's wrong?" She asked, spinning around. The injured man had heaved himself out of his cot and was staggering toward them. Sara frowned. "He shouldn't be out of bed, he's going to hurt himself."

She began to carefully walk towards the man, but stopped when she saw he carried something in his hand. She squinted, trying to make it out, and when she did she bolted back to Urey, nearly knocking over a table of surgical tools.

"Urey," she gasped in panic and confusion. "Urey, he's got a knife!"

The next minute seemed to slip out from the balance of time. It seemed to pass terrifyingly slow and yet all too fast.

The Rockbells refused to abandon their patients, so the huge man quickly corned them. Urey held Sara close, and she used her free hand to clutch a picture of Winry to her heart. Urey could hear patients screaming and looked desperately for a way out. Half-blinded with panic, he saw nothing and fruitlessly wished that he really had been able to convince Sara to return to Risembool. But of course she would never leave behind the people who needed her, and for that she would die.

Sara screamed as the big Ishvalan put his hand against his face, Urey struggled with the tattooed arm that gripped his wife, but the man brushed him off easily. With a horrible wet sound, Sara's screams cut off as her face seemed to explode like all of the bombs that were set off in the war. Urey clutched his wife's bloody corpse as the calloused hand pressed against his face and cut off his vision. For a moment the pain was wildly excruciating, and then Urey felt nothing at all.

* * *

><p><em>I do hope you enjoyed this one! I'm actually a little bit surprised that I've been able to stick to my updating schedule. Anyway, reviews would be lovely!<em>


	15. Burial

**Burial**

* * *

><p>Den could have been sleeping, but she was so cold against Winry's hand, and no breath disturbed her body. Winry choked on a sob, gently stroking her beloved old dog's body.<p>

"Mummy?"

She turned to see Sara toddle towards her.

"Oh, sweetie," she said softly. "I told you to stay on the porch."

Sara frowned. "Yes, but you looked so sad. Why is Den sleeping on the path?"

Winry pulled her toddler's chubby wrists and Sara fell into her lap. How do you explain death to a three year old? "Den was very old. And when things get too old, they fall asleep and don't wake up."

"Okay," Sara said slowly. "So she'll be up tomorrow?"

"No," Winry told her gently. "Daddy and I will have to bury her."

Sara began to cry, finally understanding. "Like Great-Granny?"

Winry stroked her daughter's pale hair and tried her best to contain her own tears. "Yes. If you want, we can put her beside your great-granny and my parents."

Sara rubbed at her red eyes and nodded. "But what if Den thinks that your mummy is me in the ground 'cause we have the same name?"

Winry almost smiled. "Don't worry, Den knows who you are."

Sara sniffled and nodded again. "I just don't want Den to be dead."

"I know. Neither do I."

Winry held the little girl in her lap, rocking her gently until she fell asleep. It was nearing sunset, so Ed came onto the porch looking for his wife and daughter, only to find them sitting by the steps beside the corpse of their lovely three-legged dog.

That night, Winry and Ed dug a grave next to Pinako Rockbell's resting place in the Risembool graveyard, as Sara watched in her night clothes. Den was wrapped in a blanket and Ed gently placed her in the hole. He held her daughter's hand as she threw in a handful of flowers she had picked from the garden. When they had said their silent goodbyes, Winry and Ed began to cover the dog in earth. It was probably illegal to bury pets in the cemetery, but it was the only right thing to do.


	16. Worth It

**Worth It**

* * *

><p>"It took you long enough," Rebecca Catalina snarked as Jean Havoc set his cane against a chair and joined her in the cramped restaurant. The interior was tacky, but the food was cheap, greasy and delicious. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten our date."<p>

"Yeah, well," he began to light a cigarette. "It'll still be a couple more months before I can walk properly again, it takes a little longer to get around."

A young waitress placed two menus on the table and frowned nervously at Jean. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but we don't allow smoking inside."

Rebecca smirked as the waitress extended her hand to take the cigarette.

"Only 'cause you're pretty," Jean said as she confiscated it. The waitress blushed and hurried to the bar. She returned quickly with two pints of beer, not making eye contact with either of them until she scurried away once more.

"I ordered drinks," Rebecca told him coolly. "I wasn't sure if you were coming or not."

Jean leaned forward. "And what would you have done if I was a no-show?"

The weapons expert took a sip of her beer. "I would have had your drink, too, and then called it a night."

Jean grinned took a toothpick from the jar on the table and stuck it between his teeth where the cigarette should have been. "You have no faith in me, Catalina."

"That's right. Give me a reason to feel otherwise, Havoc."

"You say that but you still haven't slept with me. Just wait until after dinner."

Rebecca's red high heels kicked Jean in the kneecaps so hard that he feared he would have to use the cane for longer than he had thought.

"Worth it."


	17. Child's Play

**Child's Play**

* * *

><p>"Come on, let's show Grandpa!"<p>

Edward could hear the cheerful shouts of his three youngest grandchildren growing louder as they ran from the creek to the porch of the house where he lived with Winry. He set down his book on the side of his chair as they bounded up the stairs.

The eldest of the three little ones was Ella. It was her tenth birthday, which was why most of the family was gathered at the house.

Ella flicked back her sweaty bangs with a grimy hand. "We're trying to teach Julia some alchemy!" She clutched at her little sister's arm. Four-year-old Julia shot her grandfather a gap-toothed grin. Zhao, at the age of six, nodded and tried to make himself look like he knew what Ella was talking about, although Ed guessed he was still too young to understand entirely.

Ella grabbed a stick and drew a shaky transmutation circle in the dirt. When she was finished she looked at her sister and cousin to make sure they were paying attention to her, and pressed her hands down at the centre. A clay lizard rose between her hands in a blue flash. Julia clapped excitedly as Ella gave her the toy.

"Wonderful work," Edward told them proudly as Julia climbed onto his lap, clutching the clay lizard.

"My mummy was my age when she started playing with alchemy, wasn't she?" Zhao asked eagerly.

"Yes, Sara, Augustus, Isaac, Nina; all four of my children started when they were around six or seven. Your Great-Uncle and I started even younger."

Ella nodded enthusiastically, punching her cousin in the shoulder playfully. "One day I'll be so good at alchemy that I'll be able to transmute without a circle, just like Great-Uncle Al!"

Ed's smile slipped from his creased face and he gently removed Julia from his lap.

"You don't want that," Ed said carefully. "When your parents decide you are old enough to really be taught alchemy, you will learn there are some rules you must never break—"

He was cut off when Winry stuck her head out of the kitchen window.

"Children," his wife called, sweeping her grey hair out of her face as it flew around in the early autumn wind. "Come inside and get washed up, the apple pie is almost ready."

The three little ones ran inside to join their parents, older cousins and siblings, their grandfather's warning completely forgotten.

With no children left to mind, Edward let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. He had managed to safely raise his own children, but could only hope that the tendency to make horrible mistakes had not simply skipped a generation.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ Zhao is named as he is because part of my headcanon is that at least one of Ed and Winry's kids ended up marrying someone from Xing. I have been trying to make these updates daily, although I didn't post yesterday, so I will go back to posting daily starting now. As always, I'd love to hear your feedback!<em>


	18. Teacher

**Teacher**

* * *

><p>Thirty days after they had left the two frightened Elric brothers on Yock Island, Izumi and Sig Curtis rowed their little boat back. Sig's shoulders were hunched and his brow was furrowed, even as he paddled strong.<p>

"Stop looking so worried," Izumi chided her husband fondly. "They're fine."

"They're so young, and they both looked so lonely," Sig said softly, looking towards the island that grew larger with every paddle.

"Children are more clever than you give them credit for, sweetheart."

Sig said nothing, and kept his eyes on the island as they crossed the lake.

Izumi smiled despite Sig's unnecessary moodiness. She had spent the previous two days in bed, so the sunshine felt amazing on her pale skin. The boys would be fine, but whether or not they learned anything during their month on the island was another matter.

Sig's hand grabbed hers, jerking her from the reverie. "Look," he told her and momentarily stopped paddling, pointing towards Yock. She had not been paying attention, and was surprised by its closeness. Izumi shielded her eyes and regarded the island. After a moment she grinned broadly. Two little blonde boys were standing on the edge of the beach, the lake nearly lapping at their toes. Izumi narrowed her eyes at them. They looked a little thinner, but also harder and stronger. They held their heads high.

She stood up in the boat, preventing herself from falling in the drink by steadying herself on Sig's broad shoulder. The boat scratched the rocky bottom of the lake as they reached the beach.

"I told you they'd be fine," she whispered so softly that Sig could hardly make out her words. "I'll take them on as my students."

_I'll let them be my boys…_

* * *

><p>Author's Note~ I hope everyone is having a lovely PassoverEaster/day! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed my little stories. Your feedback means a lot!


	19. Unsympathetic

**No Remorse**

* * *

><p>Scar had caused screams of pain more times than he could count, but rarely could he remember the faces of his victims. After a while they all blurred together. But the pain in that young girl's blue eyes haunted him.<p>

Not that he felt remorse.

He had no sympathy for her. After all, _she _had been the one holding the gun. _She _was Amestrian. _She_ was frightened. Scar knew that a combination of those three articles always brought out the worst in people.

Despite the countless live he had taken, Scar remembered her parents, too. Of course he did. They were his first kill. Everyone remembered their first kill.

"_Give them back! Give me back my mom and dad!"_

A childish and foolish request. She had been under the protection of the vile Fullmetal Alchemist and his armored accomplice. Perhaps it gave her a false sense of protection. It was a shame that such a young girl would need to be placed in harms way. But that was war.

Not that he felt remorse.

She was not of the military and her hands had been shaking. If she had actually taken the shot she surely would have missed. But if her trembling hands had even pulled the trigger, he would have made sure that she shared her parent's bloody death.

So he did not feel remorse.

But he had rarely witnessed so much pain, even after all the lives he had taken. He saw and caused physical pain all the time, but he had never seen such wounded emotion.

Not that he felt remorse.


	20. Pain

**Pain**

* * *

><p>Sometimes Edward Elric selfishly forgot that other people in his life had seen terrible things, too.<p>

He forgot that Winry had to be more or less force fed by her grandmother in the first few weeks after her parents died.

He forgot that May grew up in lonely poverty.

He forgot that Ling spent time as a prisoner of his own body, letting out screams that no one but Greed could hear.

He forgot that Izumi and Sig had created life, only to watch it die—twice— and that Izumi lost so much more than her son.

He forgot that Roy, Riza, Maes, Armstrong and so many others lost themselves in a bloody war.

He forgot that his father had watched as his people were annihilated, knowing he played a role in their deaths. He forgot that Hohenheim had not been there when his wife drew her last breath.

He forgot that Lan Fan had cut off her own injured arm, and sliced his record of healing with automail in half.

He forgot that people other than Alphonse and himself had experienced awful, horrible things. His friends and family had lived through nightmares that seemed to come from the dreams of a twisted child. But being around people he cared about who had all suffered so much gave him such strength.

He pulled his arm from where it had been impaled, staring at Al's armor. His brother had sacrificed himself to restore Ed's other arm. He screamed but thrust the pain from his mind. So many people he loved had been hurt, and at that moment most of them were surrounding him and yelling his name. He would harness their courage and pain to destroy Father.


	21. Hardworking Hands

**Hardworking Hands**

* * *

><p>Winry Rockbell loved her hands. They were rough: calloused, scarred and burnt. They were maps carved in flesh; stories that told of her hard and mostly underappreciated work.<p>

One would think that five years after the Promised Day Edward Elric would have learned _some _sort of lesson on caution, but she would still catch her husband limping towards her workshop with a sheepish smile on his face. He would say something like "Hey, Win," in the sweetest voice he could muster, knowing it was a lost cause, for she couldn't be fooled with flattery or sweet words.

"You ruined your leg, didn't you?" She would accuse with crossed arms.

He would then make up some half-hearted excuse, usually one that did not place him at fault.

That pattern annoyed Winry to no end. He was so careless, and rarely seemed to acknowledge how hard she worked. However she would admit that it was a little less stressful know that she only had to worry about his leg. Though, really, in the end it did give her even more of an excuse to spend time with her beloved metal.

She supposed most women with hands like hers would make sure to cover them with sleeves or gloves whenever they left the house. But for Winry, they were conversation starters.

"_That's from when I stabbed myself with a screw from Mr. Pincett's pointer finger."_

"_Oh, that? I burnt myself fixing Ed's arm a couple years ago."_

"_I was making a foot for Mrs. Sharpe, and my hand got caught in the ankle. I had to get nine stitches."_

Her scars weren't from battles, like Edward's, but they marked her as being just as strong.


	22. Bitter

**Bitter**

* * *

><p>Izumi regretted not bringing her coat to the market. Autumn was quickly replacing the summer sunshine, and that did not please her at all.<p>

She had gone to the market as soon as it opened for the day, hoping to beat the crowds of Dublith. Just as she thought, large groups of people began to show up with baskets and even automobiles while she left, her bags filled with fresh fruits, vegetables and bread. She did not need to pick up any meat of course, a perk of being married to a butcher.

She had not even made it back to the road that would lead her home when she heard a little voice call out.

"Hey! Hey, missus!"

Izumi frowned and turned. She was not exactly social with many of the townspeople, so she couldn't think of anyone other than her regular customers who would want to start a casual conversation.

A young boy, no more than four, with a shock of red hair and a round face sprinkled lightly with freckles was running towards her. He carried a bag of apples that seemed to weigh his little body down with each step.

"You forgot these at the fruit stand," he panted once he reached her. He struggled to raise up the bag to Izumi, so she crouched to meet the boy's eye line, taking the bag from him and placing it on the grass with the rest of her groceries.

"That's very kind of you," she told him with a smile. "Not many young men would be that thoughtful."

The boy smiled shyly. He opened his mouth, blushing under his freckles, and quickly closed it again.

"It's okay, honey," she encouraged him. "What were you going to say?"

"It's just… you looked kind of lost or something," he said, with wide eyes. "Did you get lost?"

Izumi's stared at the boy in confusion. Lost? What did he mean by lost? But before she could question him a sharp pain wracked her stomach. She breathed in deeply. _Please not here, _she begged her body silently. _I don't want to scare the kid by vomiting blood all over him. I am Izumi Curtis. I don't care if you are my body, you will listen to me. _After a moment the feeling thankfully passed and she smiled for the boy, who was regarding her with childish concern.

"No," she reassured him. "I'm not lost. In fact, I'm going home."

"That's good," the boy said solemnly. "Being lost is scary."

"It is, isn't it?" Izumi rose to her feet, dusting off her knees. "Now, where is your mother? I'm sure she's worried and wondering where you are."

Izumi scanned the crowds and spotted a woman with curly hair, the same bright red as the boy's. The woman was walking briskly, scanning the people around her and frantically calling out words that were swallowed up by the sounds of the market.

"Is that her?" She pointed at the woman.

The boy nodded and waved to Izumi, running off towards his mother before Izumi could even thank him again or say goodbye.

She watched the boy as he arrived at his mother's side. The mother bent down and began to yell at the child, who quickly burst into tears. Izumi shook her head and raised a hand in a silent farewell. She kept her hand up until the boy and his mother disappeared within the shopping crowd. Neither of them looked back.

Izumi retrieved her bags from the grass with a sigh. She was sure that any child raised by Sig and herself would have been just thoughtful, intelligent and curious as that little boy. But they would never know.

The walk home was not exceptionally long, but Izumi tread slowly, despite the cool weather. She pulled an apple out of her bag and took a big bite. The apple's skin crunched pleasantly beneath her teeth, but the fruit inside was bitter and mealy.


	23. Surprise!

**Surprise!**

* * *

><p>"Wouldn't it have been easier if you assembled it using alchemy?"<p>

"Well, yes… but it seems more real doing it by hand."

"Perhaps. They will be very excited to see our gift, Alphonse."

"I'd hope so, the way I've been slaving over it."

"You're funny, Al. I know how much you love doing things for them."

"Of course I do, May. I love our kids."

"You could've fooled me."

"Ha,_ you're _funny."

"Hush, they're coming."

"Should we hide?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe not. They're only turning five. I don't want them to be unsupervised. They'll be overexcited when they notice we got them a slide. I don't want them to get hurt."

"We were over here when they were playing on the field!"

"That's different, there's nothing dangerous about the fields of Xing."

"You're a liar, May. I skinned my knee once, when you were teaching me alkahestry."

"Because you're soft."

"_So _funny."

"They're up the hill! Ready? Three, two, one…"

"Happy birthday, kids!"


	24. About Time

**About Time**

* * *

><p>Kids. They thought they were so sneaky and clever.<p>

Two years after the Promised Day, Ed and Al each had gone their separate ways to travel and educate themselves about the world. But not six months after he left, Edward had returned to Pinako and Winry. _Just for a few days,_ he had said. But two weeks had passed, and the boy and Winry seemed to spend every moment with each other.

Pinako took a puff on her pipe and shook her head. She had been planning to make dinner, but had been convinced by the two young people to take Den for a walk instead, claiming they would take care of the meal for her. But there she stood, outside of the house, watching them through the kitchen window as they kissed beside the stove. She could see that they had both managed to shuck their hair ties, resulting in a mess of hands and blonde hair.

Pinako rolled her eyes and sat on the porch, watching Den run around the yard.

"It's about time," she told the dog.

She did not mind waiting a little longer for dinner.


	25. Worry

**Worry**

* * *

><p>Maes should have been home hours earlier.<p>

Gracia bit her lip and glanced at the clock once again. Maes often worked late into the night, but he always made sure to call, knowing she'd worry otherwise.

"Mummy?"

Gracia turned from the clock, trying to rearrange her face into a smile. Elicia was leaning on the kitchen door, looking pale and tired. Gracia had assumed her daughter had been asleep for hours.

"What are you doing up, honey?" She asked, rising from her chair.

"I'm waiting for Daddy," Elicia said, rubbing at her eyes. "He promised he'd tuck me in and tell me a story before I went to bed."

"It looks like Daddy is going to be a little late tonight," Gracia clasped her daughter's soft hand. "It's passed your bedtime; if you don't go to sleep now you'll be grumpy in the morning."

Gracia bent down and tickled Elicia's neck. The girl giggled and Gracia pulled her into a hug, taking comfort in her daughter's warm body.

"Come on," she said, leading Elicia to her bedroom. "I'll read you a quick story, and I'm sure Daddy will read you _two _tomorrow night to make up for it."

Elicia nodded and smiled sleepily, unaware that her father was bleeding to death in a telephone booth.


	26. Gossip

**Gossip**

* * *

><p>Their first dance at the wedding seemed more like a sparring match. All of the quests were spiralling out of the way, trying not to get smacked by the newlyweds and their flailing limbs. For all their military training, one would think that Roy and Riza would be at least satisfactory dancers, but they were rather awful.<p>

"They're going to kill somebody," Kain Fuery said, only half-joking. He was sitting at a table off the dance floor with three of his associates.

"That would fit them, though," Heymans Breda replied

Vato Falman seemed to be about to add his own jibe, but was pulled to his feet by his laughing wife, and disappeared into the dancing crowd.

Jean Havoc watched him go with narrowed eyes. "Everyone's getting married but me," he grumbled.

"Only because you pissed Rebecca off yesterday," Breda pointed out. "She's been dancing with every guy here."

"Even you?"

"Even me."

"Bastard."

"We all know you'll get back together within the week, you always do," Fuery said, wiping his glasses on his dress shirt. They kept fogging up thanks to the heat of the dance hall. "Besides, _I'm _not married."

"Yeah, well, you're still young," Breda told him, taking a swig of beer.

Havoc shrugged and lit a cigarette. "It's good that Mustang and Hawkeye are together. Maybe now they'll stop wasting time with their longing looks and dumb fights.

"Don't talk about the new Fuhrer like that," Breda joked.

Edward and Winry Elric danced passed their table, waving as they went by.

"It's a funny coincidence," Havoc snarked. "Grumman retired and appointed Mustang, and not one week later he and Hawkeye were engaged."

"Do you think they were breaking the fraternization law when he was still part of the military?" Fuery asked softly.

"None of your business."

The three men jumped at the deep voice behind them.

Fuhrer Roy Mustang and Colonel Riza Hawkeye Mustang were standing by the table, their faces twisted into matching smirks.

"I had no idea that the three of you gossiped like old spinsters," Hawkeye said drily, smoothing down the sides of her simple white dress.

"It's not gossip if it's true," Havoc said, blowing smoke in Mustang's direction, not noticing as Fuery quietly slipped away from the table.

"Maybe not," Mustang said as his new wife took his hand. "But it's distracting you, Jean, I think you're missing something."

Havoc furrowed his brow. "Missing wha—" he broke off, looking at the empty chair that Fuery had occupied. He swung around, only to see his colleague dancing merrily with Rebecca Catalina.

"Damn him," Havoc doused his cigarette in Breda's beer and chased after Fuery, ignoring the chorus of laughter that chased after him.

Hawkeye smiled fondly at her team, and led Mustang back to the dance floor. They made up for their lack of dancing skill with tireless energy.


	27. Charcoal and Ash

**Charcoal and Ash**

* * *

><p>She could see the flames through the windows and tendrils of smoke had even drifted into her kitchen. But Pinako did not leave the house.<p>

She had noticed that the boys had disappeared, followed— like always— by her granddaughter. But she made no effort to call them back home.

It was their choice.

She knew it had been Ed's plan to leave Risembool and become a State Alchemist as soon as he was literally back on his feet. So, if he and Al thought the best way to leave was by reducing their home to charcoal, she would not stop them. Anyone who had been to hell and back like they had deserved to make their own decisions, no matter how drastic.

But later that night, Ed, Al and Winry stumbled back to the Rockbell's home, worn out and covered in ash, they found two steaming mugs of hot chocolate left for the two of them that were still able to drink it.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ I'd really like to thank everyone who has left a review so far. It's so lovely to receive your feedback.<em>


	28. Her Price

**Her Price**

* * *

><p>It started with slight cramping in her stomach and lower back, very much akin to the feeling she would get when her body still had the organs that allowed her to menstruate. Each time it began, Izumi would push it from her mind for as long as she could. Over the years she had developed a high tolerance for pain. She had to; she would have been dysfunctional otherwise.<p>

The cramps would creep through her belly and bowels, filling all the cavities with a strong buzzing feeling. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. It was as if her body was remembering what it was missing.

Then came The Lurch.

That was what she called it when Sig, doctors or anyone else asked. The Lurch seemed to be the only comprehensible way to explain it in words.

When The Lurch hit, all her insides seemed to spasm in tandem. The pain was virtually blinding. In the first year after her failed human transmutation, Izumi would often cry out. But she had learned to cover her screams with coughing; giving her fits the tiniest bit of subtlety.

The blood was worse than The Lurch. Each time it felt like it was real vomit, but the salty taste gave it away. The Lurch seemed to break a barrier that allowed the blood to flow up, choking and disabling her. It was disgusting. She knew that it made her husband feel helpless. Whenever it happened in public, people on the street would panic or fuss over her and draw attention, or walk faster and pretend that they had not seen anything strange. It made her look and feel weak; something she knew was not accurate.

Equivalent Exchange was a lie, despite what her two students thought. Her son had died before he ever got the chance to breathe. Izumi's organs were stolen because she had desperately wanted to be able to hold her child to her breast. That wasn't fair. That wasn't life.

But there was nothing she could do. There was nothing anyone could do. So, every morning she rolled back her shoulders, and held her head high as she started the day. She was strong, and would be so until the day the Equivalent Exchange of her sin killed her.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ I really can't even begin to describe how much I love Izumi. I'm actually thinking of starting a story about her and Sig, because they are both wonderful and need more love. Thanks for reading!<em>


	29. Life is Not Meant to Last

**Life Is Not Meant to Last**

* * *

><p><em>"You could leave."<em>

Izumi said it so softly that Sig almost thought she had been talking in her sleep.

It had been a bad day for her condition. She had been taking down a customer's order when the coughing attacked without warning. She had vomited the blood into her hands, but some of it spewed onto the counter. Sig had arrived at the front just as the customer fled the store without his meat, shaking his head in utter disgust. Sig had guided his wife to bed, but he could see the shame that coloured her face. He and Mason closed up the shop early, got something to eat and then Sig joined Izumi in bed. He had assumed that she would have been fast asleep, but it seemed that she had waited for him.

"What?" Sig broke himself from his thoughts and rolled over to face her. "What are you talking about?"

The whites of her eyes shone despite the near darkness. "You could leave me, Sig. I promise I wouldn't blame you if you did."

He picked at a lock of Izumi's hair and twirled it around his finger. _What was she trying to tell him? _"I don't understand."

"Don't play dumb," she chastised him, her voice low. "It's getting worse everyday, you know that."

Sig sat up and turned on the light by his bedside table. Izumi donned her emotional armour everyday, the only times she acted even slightly vulnerable was when Sig was near. She sat up too, crossing her legs and resting a hand on her stomach. There were bloodstains on the front of her nightgown; some old, some fresh. She had recently stopped bothering to replace her sleepwear, as they soiled so easily.

"Is that what you think of me?" he asked softly, staring at his hands. "Do you think I would simply abandon you, especially now?"

He looked back at her, just as she looked down.

Sig shook his head. "Why do you want me to leave?" He questioned, almost angrily. "Are you going to say anything?"

He stared at her, waiting. She did not look at him, but stroked her wedding ring with her thumb. Izumi was not a quiet woman, so he decided to let her have her rare silence, despite his irritation and impatience.

"We were going to do so much together," she said uncharacteristically delicately. "We were going to see the world. We were going to have children who would run around the shop and play and be loved. We were going to grow old together. But I destroyed all of that. I love you so much, sweetheart, and that's why I think you should leave."

She looked up at him, with red-rimmed eyes. He wanted to touch her, to hold her, but he was afraid she would shrink away from his hands.

Sig, in contrast to his wife, would rather hold his tongue than speak. So he waited, knowing her well enough to sense that there was more she wanted to say. She stretched her hand out and touched his cheek with feather-light fingers.

"I'm going to die soon, Sig," she told him bluntly, letting her hand trail from his neck to his shoulder and then down to his thigh. "I know doctors have been saying it for years, and I've always come back. But I can feel it this time. I'm in pain all the time now. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I'm just numb everywhere."

Sig regarded her face with miserable eyes. He'd known she would die, but he still didn't feel prepared. She was the strongest person he had ever met; she always presented herself as if she were immortal.

"I have sealed my fate, Sig," she finally met his gaze. She looked so sick and sad, but her eyes held the same fire that not even pain could take away. "But I don't have to seal yours. I shouldn't have told you to leave; maybe that was selfish of me. But I want you to promise me that you'll keep moving when I'm dead. Travel, make friends, learn something new."

"Alright," he said softly. "Okay."

Izumi smiled. "And you'll look out for my boys?"

"Of course. Do you… do you think I should call them and tell them to come down?"

Izumi lay back down and curled into a ball. "Yes. I don't know if they'll be able to come in time; Al is in Xing and Ed's waiting for Winry to have their baby. But they should know, so they'll be able to come for the funeral."

Funeral. The word twisted an ache in Sig's heart. He had seen as his son and soon he would see his wife lowered into the earth far before their time.

"How are you, Izumi?" He lay down, too, and took her hand. "How do you feel about… this ending?"

"You _can_ say 'dying'."

"I don't want to say it. But please tell me."

She pulled his hand close and kissed his fingers. "I should be okay with it, right? But I feel like I'm not ready. I don't want to leave you. I don't want you to be alone."

She broke off her words with a single sob.

Sig gathered her in his arms and kissed brushed his lips against hers, as gentle as a butterfly's wing. He reached over and turned off the light, beginning to repeatedly whisper _"I love you_" as she chorused in with _"I'm so sorry", _over and over again like an ugly love song on a broken gramophone.

Izumi tilted her head up and they began to kiss again, but with more purpose and effort. The kisses tasted of blood and tears. The blood was Izumi's, but the tears belonged to them both. They shed their clothes and made love slowly and gently. Neither knew when Izumi would become to weak to become intimate with her husband, so they savoured the experience.

Izumi fell asleep soon after it was over, but Sig could not bring himself to close his eyes. He looked at her face, using the hallway's dim light to make out all of her features. She looked calm and peaceful. He wanted to brand that image in his mind; for he knew the weeks to come would be hell for them both.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ I can't even tell you how much I love that pairing... This is set after Ed and Winry's first child is born and after Al marries May. In my headcanon, their kids grow up referring to Izumi as 'Granny', even if she isn't alive. As alway, I do hope you enjoyed this and please drop a review!<em>


	30. Forever

**Forever**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer~ FMA is most definitely not mine.<em>**  
><strong>

_Author's Note~ This chapter is a wee bit lemony, just so you are aware._

* * *

><p>"You're still cleaning?" Sig turned to see Izumi leaning on the doorframe of the butcher shop. "I thought we were finished."<p>

She flicked off the lights, teasing him, and he leaned over and turned them back on.

"You know how I feel," Sig told his wife. "A clean shop is the only kind of shop I run."

"Wouldn't it be faster with an extra pair of hands?"

"Mason's on a date, and you haven't been well lately," Sig retrieved his broom and began to sweep at non-existent dust.

Izumi rolled her eyes and grabbed the broom from her husband's hands, placing them on her breasts instead.

"I'm fine," she told him impatiently. "But I'm bored, come to bed."

Sig glanced around the shop. It _was _nearly clean… he could always get up early to finish.

"Alright," he lowered his hands and brought them to her waist, as she grinned and lunged forward, kissing him hard on the lips.

They hurried up to their bedroom. Izumi felt hot and her hands were trembling. Sig hadn't even closed the door before Izumi had stripped herself naked.

"Come on, Sig," she said to her fully clothed husband. "What are you waiting for?"

"I just… you know…" he said softly.

She sighed impatiently. "You can't treat me like I'm going to shatter like some porcelain doll. If I don't have much time left on this world, then I want to spend it all with you."

Sig closed his eyes but smiled. "I know," he kissed her. "I'm sorry."

He stripped off his clothes, letting them fall carelessly to the floor. Izumi turned off the lamp and dragged him onto the bed, pulling him on top of her.

Sex was something that Izumi and Sig had never done gently, so it had been difficult to adjust to the awful changes in Izumi's body. But in the years since her failed human transmutation they had adapted and they had learned.

Izumi lay on her back with her arm wrapped around Sig.

"You smell like steak," she whispered in his ear as he kissed her neck.

He chuckled. "And it's that last order of beef I sold that puts the food on _our _table."

She gasped as his large fingers slid their way between her legs.

"You're stalling," Izumi accused.

"Nonsense," Sig replied, moving his fingers back. "I'm only just starting."

Izumi wanted more than just his fingers touching her. She pressed herself against him, and he finally entered her.

"There we go," she whispered, letting her fingers trail down between his legs as she flexed against him. A dull pulse of pleasure began to build up deliciously.

Izumi never thought of herself as a greedy person, but that certainly changed whenever she fucked her husband.

She thrust her hips and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer.

"I love you so much," she told him. "I do, I really do."

He began to kiss her neck and she arched her back. The dull pleasurable throbbing had turned into something much more: more exciting, more desirable, more _needed._

A small whimper escaped her lips, which wasn't nice, she never _whimpered._ It was a sound that only the weak made.

Sig was on the edge too, his motions were faster, and his brow was beaded with sweat. His release came quickly and he shuddered against her. Izumi sighed happily at her husband's pleasure. After a moment her breathing turned into panting and her pants turned to frantic gasps. Sig returned his lips to her neck—oh, she liked him on her neck— and she came, much to her relief.

In the ecstasy of sweet release, Izumi laughed and rolled into Sig's arms. They stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, and so in love. Sleep claimed them quickly, but the smiles stayed on their faces.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop a review!<em>


	31. The Queen of Ice

**The Queen of Ice**

* * *

><p>Olivier waited with all the patience she could muster as her men gathered around her. The group was smaller than it should have been. Some men were off performing various tasks, and others were incapacitated or worse. But those that were there stood tall and unflinching, although they were faced with an inhuman monstrosity. She walked through the group and stood on a ledge in the wall, elevating herself above them.<p>

"Thank you for coming," she addressed them. "I shall keep this short, for time is not on our side. We are battling something that seems to withstand any and all of our attacks. But know this, men. We are strong. We are the keepers of Briggs. We will not be defeated by the _thing _that has dared challenge _us_!"

She stepped down as her men cheered, and strode towards her cannon. Briggs would always stand strong as long as it was under her command.


	32. Here With You

**Here With You**

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ Happy EdWin day! I wrote this piece in celebration of that lovely couple. Enjoy!<em>

* * *

><p>Ed hopped up on the counter, letting his legs dangle over the edge. <em>Clang, clang, clang<em>. Winry gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the sound of Edward's metal leg hitting the table. She went back to tightening a screw on the shoulder she was designing. _Clang, clang, clang._

"Shut up!" Paninya stomped into the workshop and kicked Ed's flesh leg with one of her metal ones.

"Ouch, what the hell?" Edward scowled and rubbed his ankle as Winry giggled into her work.

"You're so loud," Paninya whined, all in good fun. "When are you going back to your travels?"

"I've only been here a week," Edward protested, but he crossed his legs under himself, whether to stop himself from kicking or to protect them from Paninya, Winry could not say.

She set the automail down, not wanting to work when her fiancé and her friend got to simply hang out.

"Paninya, don't hurt him, or I'll remove the guns from your legs while you sleep," she threatened.

"You wouldn't dare," the former thief said, sticking out her tongue. "And, of course you sided with _him, _it seems like every time I turn a corner here, your tongue is down his throat."

That time it was Edward who aimed a kick at Paninya, but she managed to dodge it artfully.

"Get out," Winry yelped.

Paninya laughed and ducked behind the doorframe. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving. But Mr. Garfiel told me to tell you that you should take the rest of the evening off. Walder finally opened that restaurant of his, you should go. Ed is leaving in a week, anyway."

Winry looked over at Edward as her friend darted out of the room. "Want to?"

"What?"

"Go out. You've just been watching me work since you came to Rush Valley. That can't be fun. Let's go out."

Ed grinned. "Yeah."

Winry grabbed Edward by the hand and pulled him to the door, leaving her work abandoned on the counter.

As they left Atelier Garfiel, Ed knelt and tugged at the bottom of his pants.

"What are you doing?" Winry asked, pulling her sweater tighter around herself.

"Covering all evidence of my _you-know-what _leg," Edward straightened up and took her hand again. She led the way to the restaurant.

Winry rolled her eyes. "You can say _automail._"

"Not in this crazy city. I'll be swarmed by automail freaks like you."

"Well, they'd probably be disappointed to see you only have one automail limb now."

Edward squeezed her hand. "Maybe. I certainly think you are."

"Shut up!"

They smiled as they walked through the streets. The evening was cool, but the streets were as bustling as they always were. The pair picked their way through pedestrians, bicycles and automobiles.

Winry looked at all the people around her. She saw some familiar faces, of course, but in a city like Rush Valley there were definitely people she had never met. She pondered on what Ed had said. Yes, many people in the city _did _share her enthusiasm over the brilliant art of automail engineering, but was that really as volatile as Edward claimed?

Without a second thought, she shot her leg out in front of him. He stumbled but caught himself quickly. That quick moment was all that was needed for the bottom of his pants to rise. The setting sun light up the shining metal, and they were instantly swarmed.

"Look at the handiwork!"

"Sorry, friend, but I am gonna have to take of your shoe for a second."

"Is that a Garfiel limb?"

"No, no, it was definitely designed by Rockbell."

"Oh, wow, then this must be Edward Elric."

"Honey! Come quickly! Edward Elric is here!"

"He looks kind of annoyed."

"No, I'm sure it's just the light."

Winry was bent over with laughter at the expression on Ed's face was he finally detangled himself from half of Rush Valley's population.

"I'm sorry," she said through breathless mirth as he put his shoe back on and the crowd dispersed. "I'm so sorry, but it was too easy!"

"This is why I hate this stupid city," Ed said grumpily.

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport," Winry chided. "They care because you're a famous State Alchemist who saved the world on the Promised Day _and _because my automail is the best in Amestris."

"Modest as always," Ed said with a glower, but he looked at least slightly good-natured about it. He took her hand again, and she tickled his palm with one of her fingers.

"Are we good?" She asked as they continued to walk down the street.

"Of course," he said, stopping. "You know I love you."

He leaned down—thrilled as always that she was shorter than him— and kissed her. She smiled against his lips and kissed back.

"Yeah, Rockbell! Show him that you can make more than his leg rise!"

Winry broke off the kiss, just as three of her clients ran cackling down the street. Edward looked at her and laughed, nuzzling his forehead against hers.

"Love you, too" she said, as they made their way towards the restaurant. "And I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's go."

"Yeah."

"Oh, by the way, Granny called this morning while you were out. She's pissed off; you didn't reply to the letter she sent you last month."

"Only because that old hag _rarely _writes to me. Why would I respond to it?"

Winry shook her head. "Just call her, or she'll take the train here and kick your ass."

"Fine."

Winry stopped and stared at a boarded up restaurant.

"Is this it?" He asked her in confusion.

"Yes," she replied slowly. "But look at the sign, it says it's not opened for another two weeks."

Ed narrowed her eyes. "Paninya just wanted us out of the shop. She doesn't even live there!"

Winry raised her eyebrows. "I don't think that's why she wanted us out. I think she was trying to be nice."

"Then she's terrible at showing it. She could have recommended a place that actually exists."

Winry folded her arms and regarded the street thoughtfully. "You know what? Let's just picked up some sandwiches in the deli and walk around. It's getting dark, so there won't be as many people out, and it isn't that cold."

Edward put an arm around his wife-to-be. "Sounds like a plan."

Yes, he could do that forever. To be happy, safe and loved. It was simple, but it was all he ever wanted.


	33. Paperwork

**Paperwork**

* * *

><p>Fuhrer Roy Mustang was fairly certain that he could literally be buried alive by his paperwork. The leaders of Drachma had renewed their efforts, attempting to convince him that it was in Amestris's best interest to hand Briggs to them. The unspoken threat was obvious, and it had become Roy's job to convince them otherwise, before the tentative Pact of Non-Aggression was broken again. There were also smaller matters, like how the former Fullmetal Alchemist kept mailing him letters filled with pictures of his wife and kids, reminding Roy greatly of a certain deceased Brigadier General.<p>

A sharp knock on his office door caused the Fuhrer's pen to skid across the paper.

"Come in," Roy drawled. Guards were stationed in the hallways and it wasn't as if the Flame Alchemist ever had to worry about his personal safety.

Colonel Riza Hawkeye entered the dimly lit room, flooding it with light from the hall. The guards shut the door behind her, leaving the two of them alone.

"Fuhrer," she said with a salute.

"At ease, Colonel," Roy set his work down and rose to his feet. "I expect you've come to sign out for the day."

"Yes, sir," his most valued subordinate told him with a sharp nod.

"Thank you staying late again, Colonel Hawkeye. We both know I would never get anything done without you by my side."

"It's just my job, sir. Have you finished _your _work for the day?"

Roy chuckled. "I can't say that I have. It's a damn shame, too. I have date with an absolutely beautiful woman, and it looks like I'll be late."

"I'm sorry, sir," Hawkeye replied coolly. "But procrastination comes with consequences."

"Then I suppose you won't help me sneak out and leave early."

"That's right, sir," she said, saluting once more. "I would be failing us both if I did such a thing. Have a good night, Fuhrer."

Roy returned to his desk as the door shut behind the Colonel. He retrieved the document he had been reading and continued to make notes as fast as he could write. The girl he was dating certainly did _not _appreciating tardiness.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Riza Hawkeye sat on her couch wearing civilian clothes and eating Xingese take out from the box. Black Hayate had run to the door and was barking furiously as shuffling sounds came from the outside. Riza stayed where she was. After a moment the door opened with the sound of jingling keys, and Roy Mustang stepped into the apartment.<p>

"You're late," she accused, taking a sip of red wine.

"I warned you," he shot back, tossing his coat onto a chair. He was still dressed in his professional clothes.

"I was hungry and the food was getting cold. I stared without you."

"I noticed," he sat beside her and kissed her lips, tasting wine and spicy sauce.

She pulled away and narrowed her eyes. "Did you get your work done?"

He grinned, pouring a glass of wine and helping himself to the lukewarm food. "Nope."

Riza placed her take out box in her lap and glared. Hayate shot out of the room like a bullet from one of his master's guns. "You promised."

Roy shrugged. "I told you I had a hot date tonight. I thought she was a little more important."

Riza rolled her eyes, but her lips couldn't help but quirk up. "You're going to have so much work tomorrow, and I'll be the one who you whine to."

"Yes," Roy agreed, his mouth filled with noodles. He put his feet up on her coffee table. "But it means I get to spend the whole night with you."


	34. Elicia

**Elicia**

* * *

><p>People scoff at you and call you a fool, or they just ignore the words that come rushing from your lips.<p>

But they don't understand _why _you care about your daughter so much.

You've been in hell. You know you have. Only in hell, _you _were the devil. When the children of Ishval check under their beds for monsters, your face is one of the many that they dread to find.

When you returned to your home after the war, you married Gracia, the beautiful and brilliant woman who still loved you even after you left her for the extermination that changed you. Roy mocked you, saying that in the novels he's read, it's always the man who talks about the girl back home who is the one to die.

_Elicia_ was the name you heard an Ishvalan woman cry out after your knife caught the little girl she held between her ribs. _Elicia _was the harsh whisper that followed you even after you were shipped out, even after you were married, even after Gracia told you she was pregnant. One late night when you held your wife in your arms, she asked you what you would want to name your child if it was a girl and _Elicia _was the name that you breathed.

The pictures you carry show how much you love your little girl. But they also remind you of the children who have every right to haunt you.


	35. Blank Pages

**Blank Pages**

* * *

><p>She was the moon. Pale, beautiful and shining. Wrapped in black lace rather than stars, she still glittered as bright as any constellation. She was a faerie, she was beauty incarnate, and she was perfect.<p>

And all Edward could say was, "oh."

"Oh?" Winry repeated mockingly, shifting her leg on the mattress. The green bed sheet crinkled with her movements.

"It's not my birthday," Edward said, walking towards the bed, his golden eyes staring hungrily at the woman he had only recently married.

"I didn't say this was for you," Winry grinned, but beckoned him to the bed with a single twitch of her calloused pointer finger. He smiled and joined her, his automail leg creaking very slightly as he sat beside her.

"You haven't been oiling it," she accused as she leaned over and kissed the side of his neck. "I shouldn't have to remind you; you're not a child."

Edward laughed and pulled her gently up, kissing her lips.

Only partially because he hoped to distract her from his faulty automail care habits.

Unfortunately for Ed, Winry was far too clever for such familiar bullshit.

"I know exactly what you're doing," she breathed into his ear. "But, just tonight, I don't mind."

"Aren't I lucky?" He replied, as he pulled off his shirt.

Winry leaned back, trailing her fingertips against the numb scar tissue on his stomach and shoulder.

"Yes," she whispered, still looking at his familiar old wounds. "You are."

Ed stopped right before he could unbuckle his pants. "They bother you, eh?

Winry frowned and shook her head. "…No. Really, I love you, and I really don't care about the scars; I think you're beautiful. They just remind me of pain. Your pain. My pain. Everyone's… pain… I'm not making sense."

Edward bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "I get it, Win. They're reminders, aren't they? Some people have diaries to record their memories. My body is my journal."

Winry smiled wryly. "Are you a poet now?"

"Yep."

"Can we go back to what we were doing? I was having fun, before I ruined it."

"So was I."

Edward removed his belt and pants, not breaking eye contact with Winry. Their lips met again, harder than before. Ed's tongue slipped between sharp teeth and Winry moaned into his mouth. Her lingerie was quickly discarded carelessly onto the floor.

Ed fell back on the bed and Winry settled herself on top of him, smiling as he entered her. He knew he was not allowed to top when Winry wore the black lace.

With deft fingers, Winry traced the pink outlines of his scars as she rode him. "They _are _beautiful," she murmured to herself.

"What was that?" Ed gasped as he undulated under her.

"Nothing," she breathed, assuring him with a smile. "And _you're _not allowed to speak until your moaning my name."

"Alright," he said, wincing slightly as his shoulder hit the headboard.

He kept his promise.

When they'd finished, and Edward had fallen asleep, Winry held her hands up in the air. Though the room was dark, she could at least see the outline of her flesh. If Ed was right, then her hands were a diary, as well. They told stories of hot metal, sharp edges, carelessly placed screwdrivers.

"Yeah," she whispered to her sleeping husband. "Scars can be journals. I just hope the rest of those pages stay blank for you."

Perhaps he had not been fully asleep, as Ed draped an arm around her. Not caring if he had heard her worrying or not, Winry's lips formed a silent chuckle as she clasped his fingers between her own and settled in to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note~ Whoops, I haven't posted in ages! I hope you enjoyed this one, and I'll try to get back on a regular posting schedule.<em>


	36. A Fool's Question

**A Fool's Question**

Although he had been a celebrated war hero in the three years since the Promised Day, Edward Elric was still delegated the task of sweeping the front stoop when he visited Curtis Meats.

"This is stupid," Ed grumbled, using the old broom to chase a particularly stubborn clump of dirt away from the step.

"Is it?" Izumi Curtis opened the front door, startling Edward into dropping the broom.

"Yes," he insisted, picking up the cleaning utensil. "And don't go disguising this as some sort of lesson in patience and boredom or whatever."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Besides, I don't teach anyone _lessons _anymore, or must I remind you once again that you have been expelled?"

Edward brushed his sweaty bangs away from his eyes. Dublith summers were notoriously scorching, and he was thankful to only have _one_ automail limb in the terrible heat.

"Alright, come in," Izumi said, a smile gracing her face. "I know you've just arrived, I'm sorry to send you off to chores so quickly, but our shop has been absolutely overrun these days. We're thinking of hiring someone else to work with us. Sig, Mason and myself are surprisingly not enough. C'mon. I made coffee."

Edward snorted. It was just like Izumi to wait until the absolute last minute for asking for help. Sometimes it unnerved him just how alike they were.

She pushed open the door and he followed, propping the broom against the wall. They passed through the kitchen where Sig and Mason were slicing bloody slabs of beef. Mason was chattering on about a pretty girl he had seen at the market that morning, while Sig listened with an amused expression. They both looked up from their work when Edward and Izumi entered the room.

"My darling," Izumi said to Sig. Her husband dropped his knife and pulled her into a deep kiss. Edward and Mason shared a look, half of embarrassment and half of affection for the couple. They had become quite familiar with that look in the years they had known each other. Ed couldn't help but think of Winry's lips on his own, and he smiled nervously.

Izumi drew away from Sig and led Ed to the small living room where she had set out two steaming cups and a plate of cookies. Edward slumped down on a chair, sipping from his chipped blue mug. The coffee was strong and sweet, with no milk, of course. She knew. She always knew.

His former teacher drank from her own cup. She took no sugar, milk nor cream, choosing to drink her coffee black and bitter.

"So, Edward," Izumi set her mug on the coffee table and crossed her legs on the couch. "What brings you South? I'd thought you'd be out West for longer than a year."

"Oh, I'm definitely going back," Ed looked down, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I'll stay here for a week, maybe."

"And take the long route and pass through Rush Valley on your way back?" Izumi teased. Her smile faded when she saw how hard Ed was staring at the floor. "Okay. I'll bite. What's wrong, Elric?"

"It's just…" Ed had wanted to talk to her for a long time, but his words were freezing in his mouth. "Back before the Promised Day, I got hurt. _Real bad. _I got skewered by a pole. I, uh, used alchemy to get it out, but—"

"But it took some years off your life."

Edward's head shot up. "Al told you." It was not a question.

Izumi smiled softly. "Yes. Are you afraid of death, Edward?"

"No!" He said quickly. Izumi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "I'm not thinking about me this time, I swear. I'm thinking of _her._"

"Winry Rockbell."

"Yeah," upon hearing the girl's name, the corners of Ed's mouth twitched up with a quick smile. "I love her. I could never say it as a kid, but now she knows. I'm going to marry her, y'know. Not this year. She needs to finish her apprenticeship and I'm not ready to go home just yet. Maybe next year."

Izumi gazed lovingly at her boy who was staring determinedly at his own hands. She couldn't call him a boy any longer, not really, for he had been a man for quite a while.

"I'm scared of dying when she needs me."

Izumi let out a low chuckle. "So you came to me."

Ed looked at her tentatively. "I don't want to offend you, Te— Izumi. But…"

She bit back a sad smile; he was flushed and was avoiding her eyes once again. "But I know more about approaching death than you do. You're an idiot."

"I know. Why this time?"

"You're not going to be dying anytime soon. God knows you've cheated death enough times, you'll probably die in your sleep when your 105," she took a sip of her coffee and grimaced, for it had turned very cold. "As for me, it could be two years, or it could be two decades."

Ed leaned forward. "Doesn't it bother you? Doesn't it bother _him? _Not knowing is the worst."

"It really isn't," Izumi glanced toward the kitchen where she could hear Sig and Mason laughing. "Sig loves me and I love him. Why would we waste time worrying how much time we have left, when we have each other _now?_"

Ed nodded. "I really am an idiot, aren't I?"

"It took you long enough to realize," Izumi laughed. "You'll stay with us for the week?"

"Of course. Someone needs to sweep the stoop."

"I'll fix your room up," Izumi rose to her feet and picked up the coffee cups. "And, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget to stop by Rush Valley on your way back West."

Ed leaned against the doorway, watching as Izumi entered the kitchen. She stood on her tiptoes, placing a sweet kiss on Sig's lips. Mason said something that Edward couldn't hear, but Izumi gave him a good-natured punch on the arm. It would probably bruise. Ed grinned.

"Yeah," he said to no one. "I'll definitely be going to Rush Valley."


End file.
